Origins of Evil: Cryptor
by The Titan's Shadow
Summary: How did Cryptor come to be? What caused him to become an evil robot hell-bent on destruction? Find out in Origins of Evil: Cryptor. (Sorry for the crappy summary. The story is better than the summary. I swear)
1. Ch 1: Prologue

**Hey, so I asked you guys. a while back in my other story if you wanted a background story for Cryptor, so here it is, after literally months of brain storming, I present to you, Origins Of Evil: Cryptor.**

 **P.S. there is a ton of Japanese dialogue, as the story will be heavily based on Japanese customs, traditions, lore, etc., so I will be placing the necessary translations here, at the end of every page, and at the end of the chapter, if needed.**

 **These are the translations and origins of all foreign text, courtesy of google translate. The translations are in chronological order, so it shouldn't make thing too difficult.**

 **"Róngyù dàimǎ": Honor code. Origin: Traditional Chinese**

 **"Anatahadare?": Who are you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Watashi wa soko no kichi kara heishidesu": I am a soldier from the base there. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Anata wa machi ga doko ni aru ka shitte imasu ka?": Do you know where the town is? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Chōdo pasu ni shitagatte kudasai. Watashi ni anata o misetaidesu ka?": Just follow the path. Do you want me to show you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Īe, kekkōdesu. Mō ikimasu. Yoiichinichiwo sugoshite kudasai.": No, thanks. I will go now. Have a good day. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Ritoru heishi.": Little soldier(name). Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kuraidesu. Watashi wa kon'ya koko ni inakereba naranai to omou.": It's dark. I think I have to stay here tonight. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kon'nichiwa watashi wa anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu?": Hello. How can I help you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kon'ya koko ni tomaritai. Ikura?": I want to stay here tonight. How much? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Naitorī 3500-en.": Nightly 3500 yen. Origin: Japanese. Yen to USD: 3500~$31.60**

 **"Watashinoheya wa doko?": Where is my room?" Origin: Japanese**

Chapter 1: Prologue

September 25, 1987. It was a specifically harsh day in the northern reaches of Ninjago, specifically in the city of _Kōtta machi_ , which literally translated to "Frozen town". The locals and soldiers stationed at the garrison nearby knew that the town's namesake was all too true. However, one soldier, whose name was Justin Cryptor, did not mind the cold; after all, he grew up in the outskirts of the Birchwood Forest, where temperatures would often drop below freezing.

As Cryptor patrolled the perimeter of the garrison, he noticed an unnatural form, hidden beneath layers of snow. As he dug up the unmoving mass, he slowly realized that the mass was a person. Whether or not the person was alive or not, he was still obliged _Róngyù dàimǎ_ to bring the body home, and to determine how to treat them, and who they were, assuming they were still alive.

As he began to lower his rifle to pick the person up, the mystery man jolted awake. Startled, the soldier sprang up and aimed at him. The man sat up, slowly observing his surroundings, until his eyes finally landed on Justin.

 _"Anatahadare?"_ The man asked. The soldier lowered his gun as a sign of peace.

"Eh, _Watashi wa soko no kichi kara heishidesu,"_ Cryptor responded in Japanese, as it was customary to respond in the same language as the man had spoken to him in.

"Ah, _Anata wa machi ga doko ni aru ka shitte imasu ka?"_

 _"Chōdo pasu ni shitagatte kudasai. Watashi ni anata o misetaidesu ka?"_

 _"Īe, kekkōdesu. Mō ikimasu. Yoiichinichiwo sugoshite kudasai,"_ the man responded as he rose and began to walk away.

 **"Róngyù dàimǎ": Honor code. Origin: Traditional Chinese**

 **"Anatahadare?": Who are you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Watashi wa soko no kichi kara heishidesu": I am a soldier from the base there. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Anata wa machi ga doko ni aru ka shitte imasu ka?": Do you know where the town is? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Chōdo pasu ni shitagatte kudasai. Watashi ni anata o misetaidesu ka?": Just follow the path. Do you want me to show you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Īe, kekkōdesu. Mō ikimasu. Yoiichinichiwo sugoshite kudasai.": No, thanks. I will go now. Have a good day. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kuraidesu. Watashi wa kon'ya koko ni inakereba naranai to omou.": It's dark. I think I have to stay here tonight. Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kon'nichiwa watashi wa anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu?": Hello. How can I help you? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Kon'ya koko ni tomaritai. Ikura?": I want to stay here tonight. How much? Origin: Japanese**

 **"Naitorī 3500-en.": Nightly 3500 yen. Origin: Japanese. Yen to USD: 3500~$31.60**

 **"Watashinoheya wa doko?": Where is my room?" Origin: Japanese**

As Cryptor began to walk back to base, he took one more glance to the man, only to discover there was nobody there. He shrugged it off, assuming that he had just gone in the direction of the town.

When Justin returned to base late into the afternoon, he was immediately bombarded with questions of their next order, what was for dinner in the mess hall tonight, and so on.

One such question, however, caught his attention. "Master Sergeant Cryptor! When will we begin shoring up defenses? The local, inhabitants, are planning an attack on the garrison."

He spun around to try to find the source of the question, only to find Ritoru heishi, or Little soldier, push his way through to the front of the crowd. Ironically, heishi was one of the tallest and most well-built men residing in the garrison, standing at six feet two.

"Wait, what did you say?" Cryptor asked

"The recon team you sent out three days ago, they discovered that the Serpentine were preparing for an attack on the garrison," Ritoru explained. "It is rumored that one of the Anacondrai are leading the assault too."

"What of the recon team? Where are they now?"

The soldier dipped his head. "Dead, I'm afraid. They were ambushed on the way back, and all were brutally mutilated. Many believe they were dismembered while still awake."

Justin sighed. "Were the bodies retrieved?"

"Yes sir. They are in the morgue, awaiting cremation."

"Good. Tomorrow, men, we honor our men by traditional means. Tomorrow, we fight to honor our fallen brothers, and to cast out evil from Ninjago, once, and FOR ALL!"

Cheering burst forth from all directions. Even the cooks had come out to applaud the Master Sergeant's bold speech. Cryptor knew that his men needed such a morale booster; after all, the Serpentine War had been raging for years now, and it was nowhere near en.ding, even with the elemental masters' help.

As the cheering died down, and many returned to what they were doing, Cryptor decided to travel to the town near the base. He asked one of the stable hands to bring his steed, who dutifully nodded and left to find Blue Steel.

As the man returned with Blue, Justin quickly threw a saddle over its back and mounted the horse. As they began their journey to the small settlement, he noticed something odd. In the path, he found three dead honey badgers. The first thing that made him question the carcasses were that honey badgers were not native to the area, nor do any live there. However, honey badgers were known to be a delicacy within the Hypnobrai tribe. Out of pure concern for the locals, the soldier threw the bodies as far away as possible from the trail leading to and from the village and garrison.

As Cryptor arrived, night began to fall. _"Kuraidesu. Watashi wa kon'ya koko ni inakereba naranai to omou,"_ he murmured. As his steed continued to walk, he found a small inn, where he could stay for the night. Upon entering, he was greeted by a bored looking man, who was aimlessly counting, and re-counting the money he had.

The man's eyes snapped forward as he heard the bell ring, signaling a new customer. _"Kon'nichiwa watashi wa anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu?"_

 _"Kon'ya koko ni tomaritai. Ikura?"_ The soldier responded as he took a look around the establishment.

"Eh, _Naitorī 3500-en._ " The man seemed unsure, but Cryptor shrugged. Three thousand five hundred yen was quite cheap for one night.

Justin tiredly sighed. "Okay, _Watashinoheya wa doko?"_

"Uh, down the hall and to the left," the clerk replied.

"Thanks. Have a good night."

"You too."

 **So, this was the first time I had to spend 5 hours translating so much text and going back and forth between brainstorming and translating. My brain is a _mess_ right now.**

 **Please review, I'd love to get feedback on this.**

 **~The Titan's Shadow**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here it is! Chapter 2, full of references to Mortal Kombat. I dunno. I needed names that were Japanese and there it was! Consider then cameos and not crossovers. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 2: Atlas

" _As a samurai, I must strengthen my character; as a human being I must perfect my spirit."_

 _Yamaoka Tesshu_

As the sun rose, so did the now thirty-five year old Justin Cryptor, CEO and founder of Atlas Defense, the single most powerful mercenary company in the entirety of Ninjago.

As the man walked downstairs to make himself eggs, he passed by a small photo of the squad he formerly led, the Devil Dogs. Smiling sadly, he glanced once more at the photo before proceeding to walk down. To this day, Justin remembered the day all too well. . .

* * *

 _Twelve years ago,_ _December 24th, 1990_

 _"Reaper One to Overlord, Reaper to Overlord, come in."_

 _"Roger Reaper One, what is your status? Over."_

 _"All is clear. I repeat, all is clear. Proceeding to Phase Two."_

 _"Wilko, Reaper One. Over and out."_

 _Turning to his right, Justin Cryptor counted all the men behind him. Five men. Good._

 _"Phantom. Take Ghost and Kenshi around the compound. Infiltrate through the back and clear out the first floor."_

 _The man known as Phantom nodded, signaling to the other two men to follow him._

 _As the three men left, Reaper and the remaining two men pulled out the grappling hook attachments to their rifles, allowing them to launch the hook onto the roof of the building. After securing the lines, they clipped the cords onto their belts, fastening it as tight as possible. As the three men rappelled up towards the second floor, Reaper received the signal from Phantom; ready to execute. Placing plastic explosives onto the windows, the three men jumped back, detonating the bombs, allowing them access into the main room of the second floor. Simultaneously, Phantom's group detonated a similar charge, blowing the main door in. The combined group worked quickly, and quietly, eliminating all hostiles._

 _However, the tides changed in an instant. Turning the rifle at Phantom, Ghost fired upon his brother in arms, point blank. The man on Reaper's right, Jax, also began firing. Although Kenshi attempted to fire back at Ghost, he was shot multiple times in the chest by Jax. Snapping out of his stupor, Reaper quickly dropped the two traitors, hoping to help his men as quickly as possible. He checked the pulse of Wraith, the man closest to him, then Phantom, who were both very obviously dead. Last, he checked Kenshi, the man he very much considered a brother in all ways but by blood. As Reaper arrived, Kenshi was already choking on his own blood. Judging from his state, he was most likely hit in the lungs, preventing him from breathing._ _Glancing at his face, he noticed a fairly small piece of shrapnel imbedded in his left eye. But that was the least of his worries as of now. He had to make sure Kenshi could breathe._

 _As the soldier lay in a pool of his own blood, Reaper fumbled for a_ _portable respirator, which was attached to a small tank of oxygen, hoping to allow Kenshi to breath._

 _Grabbing the radio attached to his vest, he frantically called for help._

 _"Overlord, this is Reaper One! We need medical assistance, A.S.A.P! We have four K.I.A., one critically wounded. Please, send the QRF, the Rangers, anyone!"_

 _"Reaper One this is Overlord, we copy. We are sending the QRF, E.T.A. 15 minutes. Do you copy?"_

 _"Copy Overlord. Reaper One, over and out."_

 _Suddenly, a hacking cough erupted to Reaper's left, startling him._

 _"No no no, stop Kenshi, stop. Save your breath. The QRF is on their way, just hold on a little longer."_

 _Again, another coughing fit. This time, Kenshi attempted to speak. "Cryptor. I-if I don't make it." Another rough cough. "Please, tell Suchin I love her, and to take care of Takeda."_

 _Justin growled. "Like hell I will! If you wanna tell your wife and kid you love them, you will tell them yourself."_

 _Another cough, except this time, it sounded more like a laugh. "Yeah," he responded. "But what will you say to my spirit if I don't make it?"_

 _A quiet chuckle escaped Cryptor's lips. "I suppose I'd have to tell you that you should've held on and stayed with us, in the living world."_

 _Before Kenshi could respond again, the sound of helicopters closing in abruptly ended the conversation._

 _Waving frantically at the helicopters, the searchlights finally rested upon the two men. As soon as the helicopters landed, medics poured out and rushed towards Kenshi, pushing Cryptor aside. One medic, presumably the leader, walked towards Justin, his face somber._

 _"Sir! We need to take your guy back to Hasashi. You should come with us. We'll take care of the rest of your men."_

 _Three hours later, the captain was still waiting, this time outside of an operating room. A surgeon walked out, searching for Justin. Finally locating him, he walked towards him._

 _"Captain! Your man is expected to make a recovery but. . ." He paused, unsure of whether or not to continue. "But, he may never see out pf his left eye again. His eye was severely damaged, and we may not be able to reverse the damage. I'm sorry."_

 _Cryptor sighed. "Thanks, doc. I'm sure you guys did all you could."_

 _The doctor nodded before turning back towards the O.R._

 _Glancing once more around the room, the captain's eyes rested on a payphone. Shit. How was he supposed to tell his best friend's wife and son that he may never see out of one eye again? That he may never be the kind, soft-spoken man he once was?_

 _Mustering enough courage to call her, he dialed in the number. One ring. Two rings. Finally, a clear voice. "Hello? Who is this?"_

 _"Suchin. it's me, Cryptor."_

 _A soft gasp. "Justin? Justin it's been so long! How is are you? How is Kenshi?"_

 _A long silence. "He. . . Suchin, Kenshi is blind in one eye. The mission went wrong, and no-now he's holding on for his life and. . . I'm so sorry. I wish I could've done more."_

 _Deafening silence. Another voice came through. "Mama-san, what's wrong? Is Papa-san alright?"_

 _The call suddenly ended. Cryptor could only imagine the pain Suchin and Takeda could be feeling right now. The pain of knowing that your loved one would never be the same after this. Kenshi and his son were always very sensitive people, but not in they way as in they got their feelings hurt easily, but in the sense that they were very good at picking up on others' emotions, down to the point that they were jokingly called telepaths._

 _Another doctor walked in. "Sir, we have beds for you to rest. Please, follow me."_

* * *

Snapping back to reality, Justin realized that he had probably spent too much time looking at the picture.

After breakfast, he took an elevator down to floor fourteen, the training room. As expected, Kenshi was there, training a group of men how to use a sword. Although they had access to the best weapons on the market, Kenshi still insisted on teaching the mercenaries how to fight with melee weapons and in hand-to-hand combat, in case their firearms were to ever fail them. Taking notice of Cryptor's presence, he quickly shouted, "Commander on deck. Atten-SHUN!"

All the men in the room quickly snapped to attention, following Kenshi's example.

Cryptor smiled softly. "At ease. Kenshi, could you spare a moment of your time?"

He nodded. "Sure. What can I do for you this lovely day?"

As the two men began walking next to each other, Justin softly asked, "How are things with Takeda?"

Kenshi stopped, looking at his brother. He sighed. "Things are. . . _better_. He never really forgave me for what happened, but he's growing, starting to become a fine young man."

"Okay. You can go back to teaching your guys whatever that thing is called."

"It's Kenjutsu, you idiot!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever!"


	3. Chapter 3

**So school has begun. I look forward to winter break already. Good news is that a lot of my buddies at swim came back this sesh, so it'll be a pretty chill session.**

 **A pretty Takahashi-centric chapter. Just saying.**

 **Gore warning before you begin.**

 **A bit of a short chapter, sorry. I wanted to post this probably a week ago, but life happened and after that I was too damn lazy to post it. Sorry guys.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Mistakes and its consequences

 _Ten years ago, the Takahashi household._

"Papa-san, can you help me with something?" A youthful voice rang out.

An older voice replied. "Of course, just wait a moment! I need to help your mother with something!"

Sighing, ten year old Takahashi Takeda returned to his given task; moving large crates of food, among other things, into the home. As he began to lift an impossibly heavy crate, his father, Takahashi Kenshi, moved in and swiped the box from his hands.

 _"Hey_! I could've handled that, you know!" Takeda groaned, feeling as if he had his chance of proving himself strong taken away.

 _"Of course,"_ his father sarcastically replied. "It's not like you would have been crushed under its weight."

The young boy groaned, disappointed that his father could see through him so easily.

As the day passed, the Takahashi men continued to move various crates of assorted items in and out of the house, completely unaware that Suchin was in grave danger. As Suchin was preparing supper, an unseen assassin, a member of the _Asashingirudo_ (assassin guild) unsheathed his hidden blade.

Dropping from his hidden position, he spoke only one word before slashing Suchin's throat:

"Scream."

And scream she did, for the split second she was granted. As the assassin sliced her throat open, blood spurted out in slow, steady streams, like a fountain spewing out bursts of water.

As Kenshi heard the scream, he immediately dropped his crate, which was unfortunately filled with soft peaches. Quickly turning around, he told his son to stay where he was, and to not follow him. Sprinting into the kitchen, he discovered the brutal sight of his beloved in a pool of her own blood, eyes still wide open. The dark reaches of his mind, left behind from his time both witnessing and performing brutal atrocities, scoffed at the irony of the situation. Only years ago, Kenshi himself was in nearly the same position, dying, bleeding out as a pool of his own blood began to form under him. Behind Suchin's lifeless body, was the trademark calling card of the _Asashingirudo_ , a mask and dagger. Taking notice of the symbol, he raced back to Takeda's position, quickly grabbing him.

"Son, I need you to grab a backpack, and put as many clothes as you can into it. We're going away for a while."

Slightly suspicious, Takeda spoke before his father left the room. "Papa-san. What about Mama?"

Looking down, Kenshi replied," Mama is going somewhere else for a while."

"Is–is Mama-san gone?"

Kenshi sighed. _Smart kid,_ he thought. Not wishing to lie to his son, he replied. "Yes, and she's not coming back."

The thought of never seeing his mother again was enough to get the young boy crying. As tears began to prick at the edge of Takeda's eyes, he obediently grabbed a large backpack and stuffed it full of clothing.

Kenshi did the same, choosing to pack some food as well.

Timidly, Takeda poked his head into the kitchen, searching for his papa-san. Instead, he found the body of his mother. Horrified, he screamed. Even as his father rushed in and crouched down to comfort him, he still stared at his now deceased mother, who stared back with dull eyes.

"Come now, son. We're going to go pay Uncle Justin a visit," Kenshi spoke as he tugged Takeda away from the gruesome scene.

* * *

After three days on the run, the Takahashi men finally arrived at the headquarters of Atlas Defense Corp, home of Justin Cryptor. Pressing the buzzer, Kenshi spoke into the two way microphone. "It's Kenshi. I need to speak with Justin, pronto." The door immediately unlocked, allowing Kenshi and Takeda access.

The man at the desk looked up with alarmed eyes, taking the men's disheveled state into consideration. After a moment of awkward silence, the man finally spoke. "I suppose you know your way up?"

Nodding, Kenshi walked into the elevator, with his son in tow. Pressing the button labeled "28", the remains of the Takahashi family waited, barely listening to the music. As the elevator doors opened, they were greeted by the worried look of one Justin Cryptor.

Justin quickly ushered them in, gesturing for them to take a seat. _"Jesus,_ Kenshi! You look horrible!"

"So I've been told."

"Ben called me right after you passed him. What happened?" Justin asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Th–the _Asashingirudo_ , they came for us. I think they finally got the call." Kenshi spoke quietly, as to not further disturb the already distressed Takeda.

Justin groaned. He had known that the Asashingirudo would eventually come for them, but he had hoped that they never would.

 _"Shit!_ Kenshi. Stay here, with us. You'll be protected by the best soldiers money can afford, and we can train your son so that he can protect himself."

Kenshi sighed. "You're right, but are you sure your men can keep this place safe? You know what the _Asashingirudo_ are capable of."

"Yes, my men are more than prepared. Remember those guys we helped defect from the clan a few years back? They offered to help train our men in their tactics and how to avoid their traps while you were gone."

"Alright. Anything you want me to do now that I'm back?"

"No. Not yet. But if you want, you could always spar with some of the men, help them with their swordsmanship."

"Alright. Could you get Takeda a room? He needs to rest; he's been through a bit these past few days."

"Of course, now go, rest."

* * *

 _Three days later. . ._

 _"Breaking news. Police have recently discovered a gruesome murder. Information that has been released to the public is scarce, but sources say that the victim is forty-three year old Suchin Takahashi, wife of Kenshi Takahashi. Police have stated that Kenshi Takahashi is missing, and the prime suspect of this despicable cri–"_

Justin grumbled under his breath, flipping the channel before the newscaster could finish her sentence. Next to him, Takeda turned towards him, eyes full of confusion.

"Uncle Justin? What is mur-der? And why is my papa-san accused of murd- _murdur-_ whatever-ing my mama?"

"No–nothing kiddo," Justin stammered. "Nothing you need to know about."

". . . Okay! Wait a minute. . . are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

" _Okay_ , then. Oh! Can I eat now? I'm huuuuungry!"

"Sure. I'll make you a sandwich, is that good?"

"Yeah! Can I have a soda too?"

Justin tapped his chin. "Hmm, maybe. I'll see if your dad approves."

"Aww, man! Papa-san's never gonna say yes! Can I just have one, please?" Takeda pouted.

"Fine. But don't tell your dad I let you have one. I'm gonna be in big trouble if you do!"

Takeda smiled for the first time in weeks, a sight Justin would never forget for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **Again, really sorry.**

 **Reviews are magic lions that make a mega robot.**


End file.
